1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to railroad crossings. In particular, the present invention relates to railroad crossing flangeway liners.
2. Description of Related Art
The railroad industry is constantly working to make railroad crossings safe and effective. In the past, these crossings were made of wood and rubber. Over the years, the railroad industry has upgraded many of these crossings from wood and rubber to concrete. These concrete railroad crossings are typically constructed by securing the rails to either a concrete base or concrete ties and securing concrete panels between the rails.
A clearance, called a flangeway, must exist between the inside edge of each rail and the concrete panel to allow for the flanges of the railcar wheels. Steel guard strips are embedded into the top corners of the concrete panels opposite the inside edge of each rail to prevent damage to the concrete panel from the flanges of the railcar wheels. This crossing configuration provides a strong and durable base for the rails, while providing a smooth and stable roadway. The flangeway is typically at least three inches in width. If the flangeway is less than about three inches in width, the inside edges and the flanges of the railcar wheels can impact the steel guard strip causing damage to the concrete panel. If the central concrete panels get damaged, the crossing can become dangerous to both railroad traffic and roadway traffic. In addition, repairing the concrete panels is very costly and time consuming.
Although there have been many developments in the area of railroad crossings, many shortcomings remain.